EV Comparison Calculator: Explore and Compare Electric Cars
Pick two or three electric vehicles and compare them on the numbers that decide which one fits you: real driving range, efficiency, what a charge costs, cost per mile, yearly running cost, and how fast each one charges. This EV explorer pulls 2026 specs for popular sedans, SUVs, and trucks so you can weigh a Tesla against a Hyundai, a Rivian, or a GMC Hummer EV without hunting through spec sheets. Set your own electricity rate and annual mileage to make the comparison yours.
The number that separates one EV from another on running cost is efficiency, not battery size. Charged at home, an efficient car like the Hyundai Ioniq 6 or Lucid Air costs about $0.04 to $0.05 per mile, while a heavy, thirsty truck like the GMC Hummer EV runs about $0.12 per mile, roughly three times as much. Even so, every EV in this tool is cheaper per mile at home than a typical gas car at $4.20 a gallon. Range and charging speed are separate questions: a bigger battery buys more miles but costs more to fill, and an 800 volt car can add those miles back far faster. Compare any two or three below.
The Four Numbers That Really Separate EVs
Shopping specs, it is easy to fixate on range alone. But two EVs with the same range can cost very different amounts to run and charge at very different speeds. These are the four things worth lining up side by side.
Real Range, Not Just the Sticker
EPA range is a lab figure in mild weather at moderate speed. Real highway range at 70 mph, in the cold, or towing is lower, often by 15 to 40 percent. A 320 mile EPA rating is a fair way to rank cars against each other, but plan trips on the real number. Range depends on battery size and efficiency together, not battery size alone.
The Hidden Cost Driver
Efficiency, measured in kWh per 100 miles, decides your cost per mile. The best EVs use about 22 to 25 kWh per 100 miles. Heavy trucks and the Hummer EV use 40 to 58. On the same electricity rate, the efficient car costs less than half as much per mile to drive, and needs a smaller, cheaper charge to go the same distance.
How Fast the Miles Come Back
Peak DC power in kW matters less than the 10 to 80 percent time, which is what you feel on a road trip. An 800 volt car such as the Ioniq 5 or Kia EV9 can do 10 to 80 percent in about 18 to 24 minutes. Some 400 volt cars take 35 minutes or more for the same fill, even with a large battery.
Home vs Public, per Mile
Where you charge changes the math more than which car you pick. Home charging near $0.18 per kWh is two to three times cheaper than public DC fast charging at $0.40 to $0.50. An efficient EV charged at home can cost under $0.05 a mile. The same car on public fast charging can more than double that.
How the Comparison Is Calculated
Every figure in the tool comes from two published specs per car, its usable battery size and its EPA range, plus your electricity rate and charging losses. Here is the logic, kept transparent so you can check it.
Efficiency (kWh/100mi) = Usable battery ÷ EPA range × 100
Cost per mile = (kWh per mile ÷ Charging efficiency) × Rate
Efficiency here is a battery to wheel figure derived from usable capacity and EPA range, so the ranking is consistent across every car. Charging losses of about 11 percent at home and 7 percent on DC fast charging are added on top for the cost rows, which is why a full charge draws more from the wall than the battery holds. The electricity rate defaults to the US average from the Energy Information Administration and follows your slider. Charging times are the makers' published 10 to 80 percent figures under good conditions and will be slower in the cold. Real world range runs below EPA, more so at highway speed, in winter, or when towing. See the EV range calculator for how conditions change the miles, and the home charging cost calculator for the cost math on any single car.
2026 EV Range, Efficiency, and Cost Reference Table
A quick reference for popular 2026 electric vehicles, grouped by body style. Cost per mile is shown for home charging at $0.18 per kWh with losses included. Fast charge is the maker's 10 to 80 percent figure. Lower efficiency numbers are better.
| Vehicle | EPA Range | Usable Battery | Efficiency | Cost per Mile (home) | 10 to 80% Fast Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sedans | |||||
| Hyundai Ioniq 6 Long Range | 342 mi | 74 kWh | 21.6 kWh/100mi | $0.044 | about 18 min |
| Lucid Air Grand Touring | 512 mi | 112 kWh | 21.9 kWh/100mi | $0.044 | about 20 min |
| Tesla Model 3 Long Range | 363 mi | 82 kWh | 22.6 kWh/100mi | $0.046 | about 27 min |
| Tesla Model S Long Range | 402 mi | 95 kWh | 23.6 kWh/100mi | $0.048 | about 28 min |
| SUVs and crossovers | |||||
| Tesla Model Y Long Range | 310 mi | 75 kWh | 24.2 kWh/100mi | $0.049 | about 27 min |
| Hyundai Ioniq 5 Long Range | 318 mi | 80 kWh | 25.2 kWh/100mi | $0.051 | about 18 min |
| Chevrolet Equinox EV | 319 mi | 85 kWh | 26.6 kWh/100mi | $0.054 | about 30 min |
| Ford Mustang Mach-E ER | 320 mi | 91 kWh | 28.4 kWh/100mi | $0.058 | about 36 min |
| Kia EV9 Long Range | 305 mi | 96 kWh | 31.5 kWh/100mi | $0.064 | about 24 min |
| Rivian R1S Max | 410 mi | 141 kWh | 34.4 kWh/100mi | $0.070 | about 41 min |
| Trucks | |||||
| Rivian R1T Max | 420 mi | 141 kWh | 33.6 kWh/100mi | $0.068 | about 41 min |
| Ford F-150 Lightning ERdiscontinued | 320 mi | 131 kWh | 40.9 kWh/100mi | $0.083 | about 36 min |
| Chevrolet Silverado EV RST | 440 mi | 200 kWh | 45.5 kWh/100mi | $0.092 | about 35 min |
| GMC Hummer EV Pickup 3X | 363 mi | 213 kWh | 58.6 kWh/100mi | $0.119 | about 40 min |
Figures are rounded from 2026 EPA and manufacturer specifications. Efficiency is derived from usable capacity and EPA range for a like for like ranking, so it reads a little lower than the wall to wheel numbers on a window sticker, which include charging losses. Trims and wheel sizes change these values.
Most Efficient vs Least Efficient
Efficiency is where EVs differ most, and it is the number that quietly sets your electricity bill. The spread across the 2026 lineup is wide.
At the efficient end, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Lucid Air sit near 22 kWh per 100 miles, and the Tesla Model 3 is close behind. These cars turn a modest battery into long range and cheap miles. In the middle sit mainstream crossovers like the Model Y, Ioniq 5, and Equinox EV at 24 to 27 kWh per 100 miles. At the thirsty end are the big trucks. The Chevrolet Silverado EV uses about 46 kWh per 100 miles, and the GMC Hummer EV about 58, the least efficient electric vehicle on sale. That truck needs more than twice the energy of an Ioniq 6 to cover the same mile, which is why it costs about three times as much per mile even though the electricity rate is identical. When two cars have similar range, the more efficient one gets there on a smaller battery, which means cheaper charging and usually faster charging too.
Why Some EVs Charge Twice as Fast
On a road trip, the number that matters is how long a 10 to 80 percent stop takes, not the headline peak kW. Battery architecture is the biggest reason cars differ.
Cars built on an 800 volt system, such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, Kia EV9, and GM's Ultium trucks, can pull very high power and hold it, so a 10 to 80 percent charge takes about 18 to 24 minutes. Many 400 volt cars, including the Ford Mustang Mach-E and the Rivian R1 models, take 35 minutes or more for the same fill, and the Mach-E in particular is one of the slower chargers among current EVs. The Lucid Air uses a 900 volt system and adds around 200 miles in roughly 12 minutes. A big battery does not automatically mean slow charging, but it does mean more total energy to move, so a Hummer or Silverado still needs a long stop despite high peak power. If you road trip often, weigh charging time as heavily as range. Our charging time calculator works out the minutes for any car and charger.
What These EVs Cost vs Gas
Comparing EVs to each other is one thing. The bigger question for most buyers is whether any of them beats a gas car. Charged at home, they all do.
A gas car at 27 mpg and $4.20 a gallon costs about $0.16 per mile to fuel. A gas truck at 16 mpg costs about $0.26 per mile. Every EV in this tool, charged at home, comes in under both. The efficient sedans land near $0.04 to $0.05 per mile, roughly a third of the gas car. Even the Hummer EV, the thirstiest of the group, is about $0.12 per mile at home, still well under a comparable gas truck. The picture only tightens if you rely on public DC fast charging, where the thirstiest trucks can reach or pass the cost of gas. The two levers that decide your real savings are how efficient a car you choose and how much of your charging you can do at home. Use the charging cost calculator to model your own rate and mileage.
Six Tips for Comparing EVs Well
Related EVRatio Calculators
Once you have shortlisted a car or two, these tools take the comparison further: real range in your conditions, charging time, and full cost.
Explore range by brand
Want every trim from one maker? Jump to a brand specific calculator:
Narrowed it down? Cost out your pick
Take your shortlist to the charging cost calculator and see exactly what a charge, a mile, and a year cost on your own electricity rate.
EV Comparison Questions, Answered
Last reviewed: September 2026, against 2026 EPA and manufacturer specifications, EIA electricity rates, and published fast charging figures.
Data sources: US EPA and manufacturer range, battery, and charging specifications for 2026 models (Tesla, Hyundai, Kia, Ford, Chevrolet, Rivian, Lucid, GMC); Edmunds and independent range and efficiency testing; US Energy Information Administration residential electricity rates (2026); manufacturer 10 to 80 percent DC fast charging figures; US Department of Energy and AAA fuel price data.